4G Dongle or someth...
 

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[Closed] 4G Dongle or something for a week?

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Going to be staying somewhere with no phone line/ISP and neither of my SIMS get 4G there (Orange & VFone). Need to be on Zoom for 5h a day 🙁

That's quite a lot of data. What are my options? It's just for a week.


 
Posted : 09/05/2020 11:24 pm
 hugo
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Do you have an old 4g phone knocking about to stick a relevant SIM card in and use as a WiFi hotspot?

Always found that less faf than a dongle.


 
Posted : 10/05/2020 1:17 am
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Wot he said.

Works really well and you can put the phone where it gets the best reception and sit where you like with your laptop.


 
Posted : 10/05/2020 6:03 am
 cp
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That. Was our internet for months when we first moved in.


 
Posted : 10/05/2020 7:08 am
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For a week? As above, mobile hotspot. It’s not like you’ll be able to use your phone(s) anyway.

As in a recent thread I’ve been having grief with my 4G dongle(s) on skype/Teams calls. No way would I get 5 hours without the dongle overheating, getting all crackly/cutting in and out and sometimes even shutting down (seems the two way traffic kills it...) and I’ve ended up with a mains powered 4g router.


 
Posted : 10/05/2020 7:39 am
 hugo
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you can put the phone where it gets the best reception

This is an underrated benefit. Leaning against an upstairs window on the right edge of the house is easier for a phone than a laptop!


 
Posted : 10/05/2020 10:54 am
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Enough bandwidth through a mobile hotspot to Skype etc? Well I guess I can check that before I go.

So essentially all I need is a PAYG SIM with unlimited data? The SIMS I already have are on Spanish contracts and the data is capped when roaming iirc


 
Posted : 10/05/2020 12:29 pm
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If you don't get 4G signal on your phones then you're not magically going to get it on a dongle or anything else for that matter.


 
Posted : 10/05/2020 2:04 pm
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If vodaphone and ee are no good then try pay as you go on Giffgaff or other O2 network carrier.

Offcom used to have a coverage checker that tells you which network should give what signal quality where.
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/advice/ofcom-checker

You can order a Sim for free. The link below should work but I am being cheeky as it is a referral link the gives me and thee some phone credit. Note that the network restricts tethering on unlimited data contracts. 80 Gbytes is £20. I don't know how this compares as I am a very low data user.

[link removed, referral links aren't permitted.]

NB this isn't a recommendation as the best just what I use and have been too lazy to change from for a few years.


 
Posted : 10/05/2020 3:36 pm
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If you don’t get 4G signal on your phones then you’re not magically going to get it on a dongle or anything else for that matter.

Should've said, just indoors is a problem. Different network might reach, or as mentioned, setting up a hotspot on the windowsill.


 
Posted : 10/05/2020 4:03 pm
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The Ofcom checker gives 4G indoors and out but that hasn't been my experience.
Problem is, it needs to 'just work' as there won't be much/any possibility to go shopping for another set up, should it not. My sis is local, I'll ask her to go up and see if she gets 4G.


 
Posted : 10/05/2020 4:37 pm

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